Odd Wisconsin Archive
The Two General Macarthurs
Today is the birthday of Gen. Douglas Macarthur (1880-1964), famed for leading U.S. forces in the Pacific during WWII and being conspicuously relieved of his command during the Korean War. To millions of Americans he is a well-known military hero; he is shown here congratulating Wisconsin ace Richard Bong on winning the Congressional Medal of Order in 1944. Few people know, however, that his father was a Wisconsin military hero in his own right. Gen. Arthur Macarthur came to Milwaukee in 1849, and in this 1907 article recollects his childhood there during the 1850s. He left at age 17 as the young Civil War soldier depicted in this photo, the start of an illustrious military career.
:: Posted in Curiosities on January 26, 2005
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